SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4216(b), is amended by designating the present language as subdivision (1), and by adding the following language to be designated as subdivision (2):

(2) The Comptroller of the Treasury, office of education accountability, shall conduct a study regarding the implementation of Public Chapter 888 of 1996. Such study shall include but not be limited to:

1) a determination of disciplinary policies in effect in all school districts including those that have adopted a zero tolerance policy;

2) the methods of record keeping used by local education authorities to record such violations of the zero tolerance policy;

3) an analysis of disciplinary data for the school years 1994 through 1997 to include the following information:

(A) the specific misconduct that violated the policy;

(B) the age, grade level, sex, and race of the students engaged in the misconduct;

(C) the action taken by the school board, or its designee, for the misconduct.

The Department of Education, State Board of Education and the local education authorities shall cooperate with the office of education accountability and provide necessary information and assistance for this study. On or before November 1, 1997, the office of education accountability shall report the findings of the study to the General Assembly and the Governor. Such report shall include any recommendations for changes to the reporting methods used by school districts and the Department of Education in relation to disciplinary record keeping policies and procedures.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.